Being White & Christian, and Making Good Trouble Anyway
Rejecting Christian Nationalism & Zionism - and speaking up for Palestine
I’m white. And I’m a Christian. If you need to take a break after reading that, I don’t blame you. We can be a lot to deal with.
For the better part of 2023, I lived parallel lives. The people who already knew me were probably aware that I was Christian. But I hid my Christian identity from my new acquaintances in social justice. Because I was so ashamed of the behavior of prominent white, power-hungry, money-grubbing, patriarchal, woman-hating Christians in the U.S. None of that behavior is actually Christian, according to the teachings of Jesus Christ, anyway.
As I write this, I’m sitting among a group of white people who are very, very angry with me for daring to bring up the topics of white Christian Nationalism, Christian Zionism, and the ongoing genocide in Palestine.
Today, I’m not merely ashamed of white Christianity, I’m also angry that this peace-centered, loving faith was perverted to be used as a weapon of oppression. I’m reclaiming my faith and talking about it publicly again. And I’m saying loudly: Christian Nationalism is not OK and Christian Zionism is not OK. These ways are NOT the ways of Christ.
I don’t have any formal education in my faith. I used to think that was a personal shortcoming, but now I’m starting to believe it’s a good thing. Because I’m not obligated to uphold or stay stuck in any outdated teachings, problematic interpretations, or oppressive translations.
I’m now saying that it’s time for us - Christians - to get our heads out of our Bible studies and get our asses moving to make some good trouble.
What do I mean by good trouble? I mean we must live and walk the actual way of Christ, not the racist, patriarchal, abusive practices we’ve been taught by the U.S. Christian-based education system. We must speak up for the oppressed. We must call out the bullshit systems of white Christian Nationalism and Christian Zionism for the harm they cause. We must reject the insatiable hunger for power endorsed by religious institutions.
I’m not much for quoting the Bible, because I find it’s all-too-often done to shame and suppress in order to keep the status quo humming along. But please bear with me as I set the record straight by quoting a few verses from the book of Hebrews. If you’re not familiar with this book of the Bible, it’s a letter written to a Christian community just a few decades after Christ was crucified, and for centuries it was attributed to a well-known writer and disciple named Paul. However, it is now widely admitted that it was most likely written by a woman, a disciple named Priscilla.
These verses are all from Hebrews, chapter 13:
verse 3: “Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them, those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured.”
verse 5: “Keep yourselves free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for he himself [Christ] has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’ ”
verse 9: “Do not be carried away by all kind of strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by regulations about food, which have not benefited those who observe them.”
verse 16: “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”
In case you’re anxious about what your religious leaders will say about all of this, I urge you to dig deeper into your faith traditions. For example, just yesterday I learned that the United Methodist Church (my denomination), includes these words in our Baptismal covenant: "Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves?"
It now seems pretty clear to me that it’s a foundation of our faith to speak up against oppression.
It’s time for white Christians to rise up against the oppressive Israeli regime that is committing genocide against Palestinians in Israel. Here are some resources to help you find your voice NOW, to speak up to save the lives of Palestinians.
Join a direct action: On Monday, March 18, a new coalition called “Christians for a Free Palestine” is organizing Christian protests for Palestine across the U.S. I’m helping lead one in Central Ohio (here) and you can search for protests happening in your area (here); Christians for a Free Palestine is also organizing an action in Washington, DC, just after Easter, and future actions as well (sign up for emails here)
Weekly ceasefire online action hour: AFSC (American Friends Service Committee) Friday Action Hour for a Ceasefire Now, a powerful call held every Friday at noon eastern time, to educate and take direct action for Palestine (here)
Apartheid in Israel: Apartheid-Free Communities, an organization to help you cut ties to the genocidal Israeli government (here)
Antisemitism: An excellent guide (written by a Jewish woman) on what antisemitism really is, which you’ll need to know because the first time you speak up for Palestine, someone will accuse you of being antisemitic. “The Past Didn’t Go Anywhere: Making Resistance to Antisemitism Part of All of Our Movements,” April Rosenblum, 2007 (here)
Busting the myth that German Christians widely resisted the Nazi movement: A convicting and catalyzing article, “The Good White Christian Women of Nazi Germany – Despite What You’ve Read, Most of Them Didn’t Exist,” by D.L. Mayfield, The Christian Century, April 7, 2021 (here)
Palestinian history and Christian Nationalism: The Freedom Road podcast with Lisa Sharon Harper, especially season 24, episodes 2, 3 and 4 (here)
Christian Zionism: The Mondoweiss Podcast, Episode 60, “Unpacking Christian Zionism,” (here)
Action, advocacy and education: “Christians for a Ceasefire Lenten Campaign,” (here)
If you’re looking for a wider range of antiracism resources, take look at my antiracism resources list (here). And, please give a listen to the new podcast, Unraveling -Isms, which I have the honor of co-hosting with my antiracism coach and friend, Amena Chaudhry (here).